


What we could have had

by MalenkayaCherepakha



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-08 11:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18622525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalenkayaCherepakha/pseuds/MalenkayaCherepakha
Summary: ‘Do you ever wish it would have been different back then?’ he said eventually, determinedly looking at the boys rather than at Harry.‘What do you mean?’ Harry asked, confused. He looked back over at Albus and Scorpius as they wrestled on the grass, trying to puzzle out where Draco was going with this. ‘I haven’t thought about it really, I guess. Do you?’After a moment’s silence, in which Draco resolutely refused to look Harry’s way, he finally replied.‘Every time I see them together.’





	What we could have had

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tomoewantsdolls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomoewantsdolls/gifts).



> Massive thanks have to go to [Tomoe](https://tomoewantsdolls.tumblr.com/) for putting this prompt in the Drarry Discord, I hope you enjoy what I came up with!
> 
> Also a huge thank you to [Donna](https://rose-grangerweasleyisbae.tumblr.com/) for checking this over for me.

If you had told Harry ten years ago that he would be sharing a beer with Draco Malfoy, then he would have laughed in your face. 

But then Albus went to Hogwarts. 

Albus being sorted into Slytherin hadn’t been the biggest shock, considering Harry’s own sorting, but the first letter that mentioned Scorpius had been. With some embarrassment, Harry remembered the way he had ranted to Ginny that night. He’d convinced himself that Scorpius must have been persuaded to befriend Albus by Draco, for some nefarious reason connected to him being Harry’s son. 

Despite his testimony on behalf of Draco at the post-war trials, Harry’s mistrust of the man still ran deep, the wounds from their schooldays far from healed. Thankfully, Ginny had talked Harry down from immediately going to confront Draco, convincing him that even Draco wouldn’t stoop so low as to use their children as pawns in their fight. 

Once Harry met Scorpius properly, any remaining doubts he had about his son’s new friend vanished completely. Scorpius was polite, and friendly, and smart, and he and Albus clearly got on like a house on fire. From then on, Scorpius was a frequent presence at the Potter household; if Albus was at home, Scorpius was probably around somewhere too. 

Harry was so grateful for Albus’s friendship with Scorpius when he and Ginny split up. Albus had taken the split the hardest of the three kids, struggling with the decision his parents had made even though it had been completely amicable. Albus and Scorpius seemed to get even closer then, their bond deepening as Scorpius helped Albus process the change. That first summer they spent in Harry’s new house, Scorpius had come over nearly every day to help Albus decorate his new room. 

Draco Malfoy occasionally accompanied his son. At first he would just drop him off at the front door, exchanging a few awkward words with Harry before excusing himself as soon as he could to rush off to work or to a social event. As time went on though, Harry started to chat to Draco more, deciding it was past time they moved on from their childish disputes. 

Harry had a sneaky feeling they would be spending a lot more time together soon anyway, as he watched Albus and Scorpius grow closer and closer. The expressions that Harry sometimes caught on their faces as they looked at each other spoke of something much deeper and more intimate than just friendship. 

The first months of Harry's attempts to repair his relationship with Draco were characterised by awkward silences and foot in mouth moments, as they struggled to talk without bringing up painful memories of their pasts. But, with time and perseverance, they reached a point where Harry legitimately considered Draco a friend of his. 

Harry found himself inviting Draco in when he dropped Scorpius off, and after a while it was assumed that if Draco appeared on his doorstep with Scorpius, Draco would be coming in too. 

 

And that was how Harry found himself sat in his garden one summer evening, in the company of his childhood enemy. 

Drinks in the garden after a hard day at work had become something of a tradition over that long summer. They were sat on the patio, chasing the remaining sun as it began to dip below the horizon, bottles of beer in hand. Draco was sat in the chair next to Harry, suit jacket and tie flung aside, shirtsleeves rolled up, blond hair ruffled from the day. 

‘And so I told them, that’s just not legal, and I won’t stand by and let them treat people that way.’ Draco said, finally reaching the end of a long-winded story about his day in court. 

‘People suck,’ Harry said simply. 

‘Wow, what a contribution, Potter. ‘People suck’. So astute.’ Draco laughed.

‘Well what else am I supposed to say, you know I don’t understand half of what you say when you talk about work!’ 

‘It’s not that complicated, really.’ Draco said, before waving a hand in the air lazily, ‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Let’s not talk about work anymore.’ 

Harry raised his bottle in agreement, and they both lapsed into a contented silence. 

Albus and Scorpius were also in the large garden, still close enough to be visible, but just about out of earshot. They had been playing an elaborate game, some mishmashed version of Quidditch, football, and wrestling that they had first invented a few summers ago. The game seemed to have disintegrated, and now they were mostly wrestling, occasionally breaking free to score a goal. Their shouts and laughs carried over to the patio, and Harry smiled, overjoyed to see his son so happy. 

Harry looked over to Draco, and saw that he was watching the teenagers too, but with a wistful, almost sad look on his face, a contrast to the big grin Harry could feel on his. 

‘Are you okay, Draco?’ he said. 

Draco visibly jolted out of his thoughts, and darted a look over at Harry. 

‘Do you ever wish it would have been different back then?’ he said eventually, determinedly looking at the boys rather than at Harry. 

‘What do you mean?’ Harry asked, confused. He looked back over at Albus and Scorpius as they wrestled on the grass, trying to puzzle out where Draco was going with this. ‘I haven’t thought about it really, I guess. Do you?’

After a moment’s silence, in which Draco resolutely refused to look Harry’s way, he finally replied. 

‘Every time I see them together.’ 

There was a long pause, as both of them let the implications of Draco’s words wash over them. 

‘You mean, what if we had both been in Slytherin?’ Harry ventured finally. ‘Because I nearly was.’

‘You were?’ Draco said, looking round at Harry, eyes wide.

‘Yep. Hat couldn’t decide between Gryffindor and Slytherin. It only put me in Gryffindor because I asked.’

‘Well that would have made school very different.’ 

‘Yeah. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when Al was sorted Slytherin. And I’m glad he was, cause he met Scorpius.’ 

‘I’m glad too. Scorp needed a friend like Albus. Who knows, maybe we’d have been friends if you’d been in Slytherin.’ Draco chuckled. 

‘Nah, I still would have thought you were a stuck up git.’ Harry laughed, Draco’s friendly punch to the shoulder only making it worse. 

‘We wouldn’t have ever been like them, though, even if things were different,’ Draco continued, tone serious again. 

‘What do you mean? You were annoying, yeah, but I’m sure we could have become friends - we are now after all.’

‘You know they’re more than friends, right, Harry?’ 

Harry nodded, suddenly unable to speak. He and Draco were staring at each other now, the shouts of their sons fading into the background as their worlds narrowed to just them. Harry thought, _hoped _he could guess the direction this conversation was about to take, but was all at once terrified to find out.__

__If he was honest with himself, Harry’s thoughts about Draco had taken a turn in recent weeks. He had been trying to ignore the way he often found his thoughts wandering to Draco during the day, wondering how he was and what he was doing. And if images of Draco filled his mind when he was alone in the dark, well, that was something Harry had written off as purely fantasy._ _

__But now, the look on Draco’s face suggested that maybe it wasn’t just destined to stay in Harry’s head._ _

__Once he had realised that Harry wasn’t going to say anything, Draco spoke again._ _

__‘Do you ever wonder if we could have had that?’_ _

__There it was._ _

__Draco’s cheeks were pink and his eyes wide as they looked intently at each other, the air full of unsaid words and feelings. Harry’s heart was pumping wildly, so loud that he was surprised Draco couldn’t hear it, and he gripped his beer bottle harder to disguise the shaking of his hands. He was almost unbearably aware of the fact that, as he had shifted in his chair, his foot had inched closer to Draco’s. They were so close to touching, and his body burned with awareness of their proximity, the desire to close the gap nearly driving him mad._ _

__Harry knew it was now or never. Draco had given him the perfect opening to act on his feelings, and he knew that Draco’s pride would mean this was the only chance. If he sensed any sign of rejection, Draco would never open up to Harry in this way again._ _

__So, taking a deep breath, ready to risk it all, Harry said the words that would change everything._ _

__‘Maybe we could still have that.’_ _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading! Comments and kudos are massively appreciated. ❤️
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [MalenkayaCherepakha](https://malenkayacherepakha.tumblr.com/)


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